How McLaren plans to defuse a ticking timebomb

Three years of Honda woe cover up McLaren's longer barren run in Formula 1, which has had an adverse effect on the team. It needs to return to winning ways soon or it will start to suffer even more significant damage

It's now been almost 20 years since McLaren last won a Formula 1 constructors' championship. It's been 10 years since it last won an F1 title of any description. Five full seasons have passed since this mighty British team last won a grand prix. That's almost 100 races ago. Three seasons have gone by since one of its drivers legitimately stood on the podium.

This is not the track record of a top team. In fact, for the past five years McLaren has been categorically mired in F1's midfield, consistently misfiring in attempts to recapture past glories. One season of underachievement can be considered a blip; two a bump in the road; but how much momentum does it take before this becomes a worrying pattern of decline?

There is a cautionary tale seen in that other great British giant of F1, seemingly stuck permanently in the midfield, dreaming of a return to glory days that may never come again. Two decades ago, Williams won its last championship double with Renault. After subsequently failing to deliver the requisite success with BMW, Williams has spent the last 12 seasons flitting between different customer engine programmes, trying desperately to claw its way back to the front, but never quite making it.

Ben Anderson is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor and one of our track testers. He holds an undergraduate degree in journalism studies from the University of Sheffield and joined the title in March of 2008, after eight months working in local newspaper journalism for award-winning weekly the Surrey Mirror. He has raced karts and cars since the age of 11, and occasionally continues to do so around his reporting commitments for Autosport.

Who is Fernando Alonso really?In this piece, first published in the August 20 2015 issue of Autosport magazine, we attempt to untangle the myths, legends and misconceptions surrounding Fernando Alonso, with input from on-track rivals, former team colleagues and the man himself1534204800F1

The chief victim of F1's renewed civil warCarlos Sainz Jr's deal to join Renault on loan from Red Bull appeared at first to have given him control over his own destiny. But is he now next in line to be shuffled out of the door in Renault's relentless pursuit of progress?1533081600F1

How Bottas's bad luck is saving HamiltonValtteri Bottas has had so much misfortune in the 2018 season that it's easy to imagine he could be leading the championship with better luck. But when the circumstances of his races are fully analysed, it's Sebastian Vettel who'd actually be better off if Bottas was luckier1531699200F1

The Formula 1 championship Alonso is winningWith hopes of a third world championship out of sight, Fernando Alonso has spoken at length in 2018 about F1's predictability. But there's a version of events in which five drivers have won the first five races, and the Spaniard is F1's top dog once again1526860800F1

Poor choices undermine Alonso's F1 legacyFernando Alonso will not race in Formula 1 in 2019. The door might not be closed forever on his grand prix racing career, but, as he looks set never to hit the heights of 2005 and '06 again, what legacy has he left from 302 F1 starts?1534204800F1

Who is Fernando Alonso really?In this piece, first published in the August 20 2015 issue of Autosport magazine, we attempt to untangle the myths, legends and misconceptions surrounding Fernando Alonso, with input from on-track rivals, former team colleagues and the man himself1534204800F1

Why an F1 champion thinks FE is the futureAfter retiring from Formula 1 at the end of 2016, Nico Rosberg has no plans to return to racing, but he's put his own money where his mouth is by becoming an investor in Formula E - a series he truly believes in1534204800FE

Please note that unauthorised reproduction or translation of any content (including words, data, information, photos, videos and any other intellectual property) published on this page and any other copyrighted content published on Autosport.com is strictly prohibited. Please see our terms and conditions for further information.

Upgrade your experience.

Get even more of the motorsport you love with Autosport Plus.

Upgrade your experience. Get even more of the motorsport you love with Autosport Plus.